A Republican senator and Trump ally dismisses the idea of negotiations with Putin.

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican and ally of elected President Donald Trump, stated on November 22 that Russia cannot be trusted in peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Source. This is reported by Politico.

“As much as I would like to believe that we can negotiate with a tyrant, I suspect that we may be fooling ourselves,” Rounds said at a security forum in Halifax, referring to Putin.

Rounds' remarks sharply contrast with the views expressed by Trump, who has repeatedly insisted on a swift deal to end the war. Trump has also frequently spoken of Putin with admiration.

“Do you believe that this tyrant, if you offer him part of a free country, will he stop?” Rounds said, as quoted by Politico.

“I would love to say that there is an easy way out, but there isn’t,” he added.

While many of Trump’s allies in Congress oppose military aid to Ukraine, Republicans in the Senate are generally supportive of Ukraine and skeptical about negotiations with Moscow.

Rounds also expressed disappointment that the U.S. has not provided Kyiv with more weapons.

“I just feel such frustration that we have not been able to supply them with all the necessary equipment and all the weapon systems they need to respond to the absolute tyranny coming from Russia,” he said.

“I wonder why we didn’t provide weapons faster,” he stated.

Rounds did not directly criticize Trump and noted that his views do not align with the incoming president’s administration.

Trump takes office on January 20, 2025. His desire for quick negotiations has raised concerns that Washington is pressuring Kyiv to agree to a deal favorable to Moscow, including territorial concessions and a possible requirement not to join NATO.